A little stickiness is normal for concha dough—it’s enriched with butter and milk, so it’s naturally softer than, say, sandwich bread dough.
But if it’s clinging to your hands like wet batter, it needs a little extra flour.
Sprinkle in a tablespoon at a time, kneading lightly after each addition.
You want a dough that still feels tender and supple—not stiff or dry—but that you can shape without it melting into your fingers.
Better to be a little sticky than to dry it out completely.
Sticky dough bakes into soft, dreamy bread. Dry dough bakes into disappointment.

First things first: Start with fresh yeast.
However, the most likely culprit is temperature.
Yeast loves warmth, and a chilly kitchen can slow fermentation to a crawl.
If your dough hasn’t puffed up after an hour, don’t panic—just move it to a warmer spot.
Near a window with sun, in a slightly warmed (but turned off) oven, even tucked into the microwave with the door cracked open.
Give it more time.
Remember: yeast works when it’s ready, not when you are.
Trust the process—you’re growing flavor, not running a race.

Watch the bottoms more than the tops.
You're looking for golden bases—not deep brown.
The tops should feel set, but still soft when pressed gently.
If the kitchen smells like warm spice and toasted sugar, you’re almost there.
Baking times are a guide, not gospel—trust your senses over the clock. And you, babe, can be trusted.

Yes, absolutely.
If life gets in the way (as it tends to), you can slow everything down.
After the first rise, cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 12–18 hours.
Let it come back to room temperature before shaping and baking—you want the yeast wide awake and ready when it hits the oven.

It usually comes down to one of two things:

• The dough wasn’t kneaded enough (not enough gluten developed to trap air).
• The dough didn’t proof long enough (yeast didn’t have time to do its magic).

Heavy conchas happen—and every baker has baked a few.
If you end up with a batch that's more solid than you hoped, slice them, toast them, and enjoy them anyway.
Baking is a rhythm, not a performance—and the next batch will be better because of what you learned here.

Conchas are at their most magical the day they’re baked—soft, pillowy, a little dangerous.
But if you have leftovers (lucky you), let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
They’ll stay good for about 2–3 days.
After that, they start to lose that dreamy tenderness—but they still make incredible toasted treats with coffee.

Pro Tip: Slip a piece of parchment between layers if you stack them. The sugar topping can stick a little if you don’t.

You can! They actually freeze beautifully.
Once they’re fully cooled, wrap each concha individually in plastic wrap, then tuck them into a freezer bag or airtight container.
They’ll keep well for up to a month.

To reheat:

• Let them thaw at room temperature.
• Warm them in a low oven (around 300°F) for 5–7 minutes until just soft and fragrant again.
• Don’t microwave them—trust us, it kills the romance.